There are about 8.5 million Americans who work as independent contractors. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, "Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangements," Feb. 1997.)

About 1 and 11 workers in the United States is self-employed. (Source: Bregger, John, "Measuring self-employment in the U.S.," Monthly Labor Review, Jan/Feb.1996.)

Franchising grows around 10 percent each year, with a new franchise business opening in the U.S. every eight minutes each business day.(Source: International Franchise Association, 1998)

Over 600,000 franchise businesses operate in the U.S. today, employing more than eight million Americans. (Source: International Franchise Association)

Franchise start-up costs range from about $5,000 to $500,000. (Source: Behar, Richard, "Why Subway is the biggest problem in franchising," Fortune, March 13, 1998, pp. 126; Gutloff, Karen, "15 Franchises for Under $50,000," Black Enterprise, September 1997.)

In addition to the one-time franchise fee, franchisees are required to pay ongoing royalty costs to the franchisor, typically equal to 2 to 8 percent of gross sales. They're also responsible for about 4 percent of sales for advertising expenses. (Source: Caminiti, Susan, "Entrepreneurs: look who likes franchising now," Fortune, September 23, 1991, pp. 125.)

Hot franchise ideas catering to 1990s busy families emphasize convenience. Franchising growth is concentrated in food delivery taxis, cleaning services, childcare, senior care, tailoring, dry cleaning, and drive thru operations. Newly emerging trendsalso include, home based office supplies, children's fitness and lower cost funeral supplies. (Source: International Franchise Association)

There are over 360 worker-owned cooperatives nationwide. In 60 percent of them every worker is an owner. On average, there are 43 members per worker-owned cooperative. (Source: Adams, Frank, "The ICA Group Directory of Workers' Enterprises in North America," Industrial Cooperative Association Group, 1991)

One of the first worker-owned cooperatives in the United States was a 1700s cooperative of cobblers in Philadelphia. (Source: from an Interview with Frank Adams, June 29, 1998. )

Worker-owned cooperative businesses in the U.S. are concentrated in trades ranging from ship building, textile manufacturing, printing and publishing to income tax services and health care. (Source: Industrial Cooperative Association Group)

More than 13 percent of employees in medium to larger private companies nationwide share in profit sharing agreements. In both small and large companies, over 12 million employees are participating. (Source: Department of Labor, "Employee Benefits Survey," 1993; Series ID#: EBUPROFITSHA00ML)

The number of ESOPs has grown from 1,600 in 1975 to over 10,000 in 1997.Each year more than 600 ESOPs are formed. (Source: National Center for Employee Ownership)

Every day in America, about nine million people go to work at 10,000 companies with ESOPs. (Source: National Center for Employee Ownership)

Companies combining employee ownership with participative management grow up to 11 percent per year faster than they expected. (Source: National Center for Employee Ownership)

Productivity grew 52 percent faster in ESOP companies that also used participative management. (Source: U.S. General Accounting Office, GAO/PEMD-88-1 ESOPS and Corporate Performance, 1987)

91 percent of ESOPs were started as an employee benefit. 74 percent were started for tax advantages; 70 percent, to improve productivity. (Source: U.S. General Accounting Office, GAO/PEMD-87-8 Benefits and Costs of ESOP Tax Incentives, 1986)

The majority of ESOP companies, 66 percent, reported improved employee morale, and tax savings, 60 percent, as the biggest advantages to becoming an ESOP. Over a third, 36 percent, reported higher productivity and reduced turnover, 33 percent, as other advantages. Sixteen percent of ESOPs reported diluted stock value and repurchase liability. Still the majority of ESOPs, 57 percent, cite no disadvantages. (Source: U.S. General Accounting Office, GAO/PEMD-87-8 Benefits and Costs of ESOP Tax Incentives, 1986)

Employees of about a third of ESOP companies had more non-managerial involvement in company decision making after their companies formed ESOPs. 15 percent had formal employee involvement and 76 percent had informal involvement. (Source: U.S. General Accounting Office, GAO/PEMD-87-8 Benefits and Costs of ESOP Tax Incentives, 1986)

Big name companies with ESOPs include: Proctor & Gamble, Xerox, McDonnell Douglas, Rockwell International, Delta Airlines, Quaker Oats, Ralston Purina, J.C. Penney, Georgia Pacific, Hallmark Cards, Avis Car Rentals, Merrill Lynch, and Polaroid.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the best known market barometer, has more than tripled in the last decade. (Source: Bryant, Adam, "Feeding the New Work Ethic," The New York Times, April 19, 1998.)

Corporate underwriting is at an all time high, with securities companies raising almost $1 trillion for corporate America in the first half of 1998. (Source: Securities Data Company)

261 companies went public from January to June 1998, generating $21 billion. (Source: Securities Data Company, "U.S. IPOs," 1998)

The wealthiest one percent of Americans controls 50 percent of the stocks in this country. The bottom 80 percent owns 3 percent. (Source: Federal Reserve Board, Survey of Consumer Finances, 1995; U.S. General Accounting Office, GAO/PEMD-87-8 Benefits and Costs of ESOP Tax Incentives, 1986)

Employees control about eight percent or $663 billion of the total corporate equity in the country through ESOPs, stock options, and 401(k) retirement savings and profit sharing plans. (Source: National Center for Employee Ownership)

The number of employees receiving broad-based stock options has doubled in the last five years from 2.5 million in 1992 to 5 million in 1997, with 1. 5 million added in the last year and a half. There are about 3,000 broad-based stock option plans in the US represented at about 11 percent of major companies. (Source: National Center for Employee Ownership; Bryant, Adam, "Feeding the New Work Ethic," The New York Times, April 19, 1998.)